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The Case for Taking on Bobby Ryan's Contract

Currently, the Rangers have $24,950,556 in cap space available for next season. They have 13 players under contract for a total cap hit of $50,049,444. We don't know what the cap will be next season but from early reports it looks like it'll go up. These are facts.

Another fact: Bobby Ryan STINKS.

Here are his important stats:

CAP HIT: $7,250,000 for another 4 seasons

OTT 62 13 12 25
OTT 62 11 22 33

...over the last two seasons. Really, REALLY ugly numbers. He's hurt often and he's less than a .5 ppg player. There's no mistaking that his contract is possibly the worst in the NHL.

Now that we're all on the same page, what if we traded for him? We all know that Ottawa value $$$ more than they value on-ice product. They operate under their own cap and thus you have the Karlsson trade rumors. What if instead of packaging Karlsson, we packaged the #4 pick in the 2018 draft? What if we were able to draft #4 (Zadina, Tkachuk, or Svechnikov) and #9 (Wahlstrom, Boqvist, or Noel)? Obviously, something would have to go back the other direction. Both Tampa and Boston's 1st round picks and Hayes or Vesey, perhaps. Maybe Zuccarello or any of the other RFAs that need contracts.

Bobby Ryan plays out his days (kinda near home), and takes on a leadership role for a young team. In 4 years when his 7m comes off the books you have two (hopefully) superstars that are ready to get paid with his money...

I'm getting greedy at this point, I understand, but if you want to build properly, you need talent. Nothing gets you talent like 3 top 10 picks in two years. It's too soon to predict a lineup but something like this could be a reality if we moved for Ryan:

I don't think Ottawa would trade the #4 pick to get rid of Ryan. They are rebuilding, and the #4 pick is more important than saving some money. They will find someone to take Ryan with Karlsson, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is us. I would be ok with that depending on price. The question is how much does that reduce the Karlsson cost?

We might even be able to get them to consume Brendan Smith and Matt Beleskey's contract as part of the deal. Bobby Ryan's contract is THAT bad.

1) He only recently turned 31. The contract runs to the age of 35. In itself, the age profile isn't that scary.
2) He was an NHL All-Star in 2015.
3) Just last year, he put up 6-9-15 and was +1 in 19 playoff games. He was arguably the single most decisive force for Ottawa in the 1st round against Boston.

I'm not saying he is a good player or anywhere near worth 7.25M, but I see some mitigating factors and some signs to a hidden, decent NHL level that perhaps can be re-discovered.

On the flip side, his contract is very back-heavy. His paid salary actually exceeds the cap hit in the last three contract years. That makes a mid-contract retirement very unlikely.

I don't think Ottawa are going to bite, but I'd certainly consider eating Ryans contract + one of the late picks + one of the RFA's for their pick on the off chance they'd be interested in that kind of deal. Getting our mitts on one of Svech/Zadina/Tkachuk would be massive.

Pre-deadline, Ottawa management hinted that a trade for Karlsson must also include Ryan (to get rid of his contract). That's transformed to "We might give up our pick if you take Ryan" - which they wont, seeing as they are rebuilding and dont have a first round pick next season

Currently, the Rangers have $24,950,556 in cap space available for next season. They have 13 players under contract for a total cap hit of $50,049,444. We don't know what the cap will be next season but from early reports it looks like it'll go up. These are facts.

Another fact: Bobby Ryan STINKS.

Here are his important stats:

CAP HIT: $7,250,000 for another 4 seasons

OTT 62 13 12 25
OTT 62 11 22 33

...over the last two seasons. Really, REALLY ugly numbers. He's hurt often and he's less than a .5 ppg player. There's no mistaking that his contract is possibly the worst in the NHL.

Now that we're all on the same page, what if we traded for him? We all know that Ottawa value $$$ more than they value on-ice product. They operate under their own cap and thus you have the Karlsson trade rumors. What if instead of packaging Karlsson, we packaged the #4 pick in the 2018 draft? What if we were able to draft #4 (Zadina, Tkachuk, or Svechnikov) and #9 (Wahlstrom, Boqvist, or Noel)? Obviously, something would have to go back the other direction. Both Tampa and Boston's 1st round picks and Hayes or Vesey, perhaps. Maybe Zuccarello or any of the other RFAs that need contracts.
Bobby Ryan plays out his days (kinda near home), and takes on a leadership role for a young team. In 4 years when his 7m comes off the books you have two (hopefully) superstars that are ready to get paid with his money...

I'm getting greedy at this point, I understand, but if you want to build properly, you need talent. Nothing gets you talent like 3 top 10 picks in two years. It's too soon to predict a lineup but something like this could be a reality if we moved for Ryan:

If the Rangers can dump their RFA's (Names, Hayes, Vesey aka players I don't want anyway) while also keeping the #9 pick but maybe surrendering Tampa or Bostons 1sts and to get Karlsson along with Ryan, I think I do it. Adding one of those late 1sts would have to swing in some salary retention on Ryan though. As well as talking to Karlsson about an extension prior to the trade.

Ps, doesn't Ryan kinda not like the Rangers? Thought I remember something like that, when he was available before he got that insane contract.

Well, if you want Karlsson, you are going to have to make some major concessions, either in the form of giving up assets you hate to see go, taking on the Ryan contract, or both. If you don't want to do something painful to get Karlsson, you might as well end the discussion, and that's a legitimate point of view.

Currently, the Rangers have $24,950,556 in cap space available for next season. They have 13 players under contract for a total cap hit of $50,049,444. We don't know what the cap will be next season but from early reports it looks like it'll go up. These are facts.

Another fact: Bobby Ryan STINKS.

Here are his important stats:

CAP HIT: $7,250,000 for another 4 seasons

OTT 62 13 12 25
OTT 62 11 22 33

...over the last two seasons. Really, REALLY ugly numbers. He's hurt often and he's less than a .5 ppg player. There's no mistaking that his contract is possibly the worst in the NHL.

Now that we're all on the same page, what if we traded for him? We all know that Ottawa value $$$ more than they value on-ice product. They operate under their own cap and thus you have the Karlsson trade rumors. What if instead of packaging Karlsson, we packaged the #4 pick in the 2018 draft? What if we were able to draft #4 (Zadina, Tkachuk, or Svechnikov) and #9 (Wahlstrom, Boqvist, or Noel)? Obviously, something would have to go back the other direction. Both Tampa and Boston's 1st round picks and Hayes or Vesey, perhaps. Maybe Zuccarello or any of the other RFAs that need contracts.

Bobby Ryan plays out his days (kinda near home), and takes on a leadership role for a young team. In 4 years when his 7m comes off the books you have two (hopefully) superstars that are ready to get paid with his money...

I'm getting greedy at this point, I understand, but if you want to build properly, you need talent. Nothing gets you talent like 3 top 10 picks in two years. It's too soon to predict a lineup but something like this could be a reality if we moved for Ryan:

Hey Three-One! I read this all the way through and had a day or 2 to think it through. At first, I was like...NO WAY Jose! ....The idea does make sense to a degree, and there is a way to achieve getting all this under the cap and landing the big fish in the pond that you're looking for.

The 10,000 pound elephant in the room though, is the fact that I think (...and this is just my opinion) the Rangers are better off just starting with younger players and going the way of the draft. I accept the fact it may be longer than a year....maybe 2 or 3 years. But that's ok with me at this point. We have to replace the last generation of players and I think the best way to do that is to start building a solid farm system with both coaches and players with a bright future.

For the short term and quick turnaround, maybe the Bobby Ryan strategy/Kovalchuk strategy might work, but at this point and taking all things into consideration, I would rather go the route of slow and steadily building through the draft, and unloading older players for younger talent and/or draft picks.

It's a really well thought out idea though!!! I think you may have a future as a GM!!

OTT isn't trading their pick without a massive overpayment.
Would you trade the #2 pick just to dump Marc Staal's contract?
Ryan's contract is indeed worse than Staal's, but it doesn't come at the expense of losing the #2 pick.

If anything, I would rather target Bergevin and the #3 pick, but despite all of his shortcomings and shit deals, I don't think he moves that pick either.